1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to lighting systems, and more particularly to a system for measuring the light level surrounding an automatic teller machine (ATM).
2. Description of the Related Art
As is known, in recent years ATM devices have gained wide-spread acceptance and usage, and have become quite prevalent in the banking industry. The use of ATMs enhances customer convenience by providing more banking locations, as well as twenty-four hour banking service. However, the use of ATMs has lead to other problems; most notably, theft. This is particularly true at nighttime usage. Many ATM transactions involve the withdrawal of cash from the ATM device by a customer. Typically, when a customer accesses an ATM device to withdraw cash, he/she exposes his wallet/purse in order to deposit money after the withdrawal. This unnecessarily exposes customers and leaves them extremely vulnerable to a would be thief.
One measure taken to address this security issue has been the increase of lighting provided around ATM devices. Many banking institutions have undertaken this step proactively in order to better secure the safety of their customers. In many other instances, certain minimum lighting standards have been regulated. In this regard, several states have already passed legislation that mandates certain minimum lighting level conditions surrounding ATM devices, and similar legislation is pending in other states. For example, and as of the writing of this application, House Bill 5298 of the Massachusetts House of Representatives proposes a comprehensive ATM physical security proposal, which specifies minimum lighting specifications at an ATM location. Specifically, the lighting specification set forth in House Bill 5298 require a minimum luminous intensity of ten foot candles surrounding the ATM, and a minimum of two foot candles at a distance of fifty feet from the ATM. Similar legislation has already passed in many states and, again, remains pending in other states. In addition, the legislative Acts (or proposed Acts) further often include a requirement regarding security cameras at the site of the ATM.
In the past, banking institutions have either self-supplied, or contracted with, service personnel to ensure the proper operation of lighting systems surrounding ATMs. Such service systems typically involved a person that physically traveled from location to location to inspect the proper working conditions of lighting systems. With many state Legislative Acts now requiring proper operation of lighting systems, (e.g., mandating penalties for failure to sustain adequate lighting) the need becomes ever greater that such lighting systems be maintained in proper working order at all times. One way to achieve this is to provide excess lighting surrounding an ATM device, so that if one or more lights burn out, adequate lighting is still maintained. This generally affords the service personnel enough time to detect and repair any faulty lights before the overall lighting conditions fall below specifications. Another way of maintaining adequate lighting is simply to have the service personnel patrol the ATM sites more frequently, so that only a minimum of time passes before the faulty lighting conditions are discovered. Unfortunately, both of these approaches impose undue costs for implementation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,052 to Hamm el al., discloses a monitoring and alerting system for buildings. More particularly, the '052 patent describes a system that includes one or more light level sensors directed to observe the light level at a selected location. A CPU or controller stores data representing an acceptable light level for a given time schedule. If the light level at the selected area does not reach or maintain the desired light levels, corrective action is taken. By way of specific example, the '052 patent teaches that if the commercial establishment is a bank and the light level is at an ATM, the corrective action taken by the system may temporarily shut down the ATM and illuminate a sign to indicate that the ATM is not open. This would alert customers that they should use other ATM devices, and therefore the threat of theft is reduced. The system of the '052 patent also includes a modem in communication with the CPU to allow the transmission of certain data to a remote location. Specifically, the '052 patent states that "if the condition sensed is a different type of discrepancy, failure of heating, water leak detection, or other emergency, the system includes a modem and telephone communication link to a human monitoring station for instantaneous alerting and to allow corrective action." Such a system, however, requires a direct connection of a telephone line with the ATM device.